Characteristic noise of offshore wind turbine impacts the behavior and muscle physiology of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Sea cucumbers plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance through their unique behaviors and physiological functions. However, the noise from offshore wind turbines disrupts the habitat environment of the sea cucumber, potentially altering their behavior and physiology. Nevertheless, limited research exists on how noise from offshore wind turbines affects the sea cucumbers. In our study, we explored the effects of specific wind turbine noise frequencies on the behavior and muscle metabolism of sea cucumbers through four experimental groups: control, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, and 2500 Hz. Statistical analysis of the sea cucumber's ingestion rate, fecal production rate, step frequency and total step length showed that low-frequency noise (125 Hz and 250 Hz) significantly enhanced their locomotion and feeding activity compared to the control group. Further examination demonstrated that low-frequency noise significantly changed the metabolic products in sea cucumber's muscles, altering levels of nine metabolites, excluding tetraazecyclododecane tetraacetic acid. Furthermore, four key metabolic pathways showed marked alterations: pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and purine metabolism. These findings demonstrate that sea cucumbers adapt behaviorally and metabolically to anthropogenic noise disturbances.